Pathology services commissioning toolkit

"This toolkit is for commissioning community (i.e. direct access) pathology services to support commissioners who have undertaken a strategic review of their existing services and wish to improve the quality, effectiveness, affordability and value for money of these services, in line with locally determined objectives and priorities."

The pathology services commissioning toolkit
Department of Health
May 2012

Read more here.

Additional supporting material available here.

Quality, innovation and value in cardiac rehabilitation

"This resource will help to guide commissioners and providers through real examples of what works and to save others from reinventing the wheel."

Quality, innovation and value in cardiac rehabilitation: commissioning for improvement
NHS Improvement
May 2012

Read more here.

Assessing value in health care programs

"Programs designed to improve health and prevent disease should be evaluated based on whether they improve health at a reasonable price, essentially comparing whether improvements in health are achieved for less resources than through alternatives, eg, expenditures on health care services."

Assessing value in health care programs
KG Volpp, G Loewenstein, DA Asch
Journal of the American Medical Association, 2012, 307(2):2153-2154

Read more here.

Fulfilling the potential: a better journey for patients and a better deal for the NHS

"The future delivery of medical care will need to focus, not only on the development of innovative treatments, but on reducing the levels of stress associated with the delivery of in-patient care."

Fulfilling the potential: a better journey for patients and a better deal for the NHS
NHS Enhanced Recovery Partnership
NHS Improvement
April 2012

Read more here.

Investing in emotional and psychological wellbeing for patients with long-term conditions

"This report brings together the evidence across diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary heart disease, plus medically unexplained symptoms, to present a business case for investing in psychological services."

Investing in emotional and psychological wellbeing for patients with long-term conditions
Mental Health Network - NHS Confederation
April 2012

Read more here.

"NHS Confederation summarises the new Mental Health Network report, and describes how primary and secondary health services can improve patient outcomes, while reducing the overall costs of care for the NHS."

Read a summary here.

Sustainable health and social care

"Evidence suggests that adopting various measures could generate considerable cost savings for the health and social care sector, as well as reducing its environmental impacts."

Sustainable health and social care: connecting environmental and financial performance
C Naylor, J Appleby
The King's Fund
March 2012

Read more here.

Appropriate use of screening and diagnostic tests to foster high-value, cost-conscious care

"The overuse of some screening and diagnostic tests is an important component of unnecessary health care costs."

Appropriate use of screening and diagnostic tests to foster high-value, cost-conscious care
A Qaseem, et al.
Annals of Internal Medicine, 156(2):147-149

Read more here.

An economic case for involvement

"Meaningful involvement and shared decision making with patients and the public is a key enabler to improvements in quality, innovation, productivity and performance."

An economic case for involvement
InHealth Associates, Frontline, Department of Health
March 2012

Read more here.

Access the free decision support tool here.

Personal experiences, public value: changing relationships in the NHS

"Intended to stimulate discussion, this paper is the first in a series looking at interactions between the NHS, individuals and communities. A further four papers in the run up to the 2012 NHS Confederation annual conference and exhibition will explore:

• putting people first through shared decision-making
• information and the power paradigm
• micro-enterprises and building community assets
• building social value within the system and society."

An uneasy consensus: patients, citizens and the NHS: Paper 1: Personal experiences, public value: changing relationships in the NHS
NHS Confederation
February 2012
Read more here.

NHS Better Care, Better Value Indicators

Better Care Better Value indicators identify potential areas for improvement in efficiency, which may include commissioners re-designing and shifting services away from the traditional setting of the hospital and out towards community based care.

View the indicators here.

Guide to commissioning for maximum value

"This guide is for people involved at all stages in commissioning public services in all public bodies."

Guide to commissioning for maximum value
Local Government Association
January 2012

Read more here.

Better value for money in healthcare

"The United Kingdom appears to have controlled healthcare costs much more effectively than Canada, without significantly reducing the quality of care."

Better value for money in healthcare: European lessons for Canada
A Blomqvist, C Busby
C.D. Howe Institute
January 2012

Read more here.

Competition in the NHS

"The NHS is far from being a competition-free zone, but the extent of competition remains confined to a minority of the services provided to NHS patients."

Competition in the NHS
Office of Health Economics Commission
January 2012

Read more here.

Value of healthcare services

Doctors, nurses and other health professionals are coming together with  patients and their representatives to look at health services in south west London in the Better Services, Better Value review. The following six reports show much of the thinking and analysis that has taken place to understand how people use the south west London health services and the quality of the service they receive in terms of outcomes and experience.

• Long-term conditions and out of hospital care (including mental health) clinical working group: draft clinical report
• Planned care clinical working group: draft clinical report
• Maternity and newborn clinical working group: draft clinical report
• Children's services clinical working group: draft clinical report
• End of life care working group: draft clinical report
• Urgent care clinical working group: draft clinical report

Value based clinical commissioning of elective surgical care

"The aim of this report has been to make recommendations for consideration by the NHS Operations Board with regard to effective commissioning of elective surgical procedures."


Right Care Elective Surgery Project: Phase 1 report: Value based clinical commissioning of elective surgical care: emerging views of commissioners and surgeons and production of high value care pathways
M Gray, S Swift, M Suleman, N Beasley, D Hakes, M Qualie, A Mitchell, S Dutch
Right Care
November 2011

Read more here.

The search for low-cost integrated healthcare

"This report identifies one particular model,originating from the region of Valencia, Spain, which purports to be a pioneering approach to the provision of integrated healthcare through public-private partnership."

The search for low-cost integrated healthcare: the Alzira model - from the region of Valencia
NHS European Office
NHS Confederation
December 2011

Read more here.

NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare

The second issue of the NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare has just been published, and aims to increase value and improve quality by reducing unwarranted variation.

NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare
NHS RightCare
November 2011

Read more here.

The four habits of high-value health care organizations

"Although high-value health care organizations vary in structure, resources, and culture, they often have remarkably similar approaches to care management."

The four habits of high-value health care organizations
RMJ Bohmer
New England Journal of Medicine, 2011, 365:2045-2047

Read more here.

Finding a balance between "value added" and feeling valued

"The ability to reach an identified target and deliver on objectives relies on the successful engagement and empowerment of front-line staff, clients and families."

Finding a balance between "value added" and feeling valued: revising models of care. The human factor or implementing a quality improvement initiative using Lean methodology within the healthcare sector
R Deans, S Wade
Healthcare Quarterly, 2011, 14(3):58-61

Read more here.

Joining up health and social care

"Improving joint working across the boundary between health and social care has the potential to make significant savings and has been a priority for many years."

Joining up health and social care: improving value for money across the interface
Audit Commission
December 2011

Read more here.